Calm the girls down(3)

Leon walked silently beside Clarice for a while, carefully choosing his words. Finally, he spoke.

"I apologize if I interrupted you in your affairs," he said, bowing his head respectfully before the young woman.

Clarice stopped and gave him a cold look. Her lips twitched in a faint grimace, but she quickly regained control over herself.

"There is no need to apologize, Viscount Bartfort. It would be better if you just tell me what you want," she replied in an even but dry tone.

Leon straightened up, took a deep breath, and firmly stated,

"I wanted to stop you from doing something you might regret in the future."

His gaze held no judgment or mockery—only sincere seriousness. He wasn't pressuring her, nor was he trying to impose his opinion, yet Clarice felt that his words carried more than just simple advice.

At first, she didn't understand what he was talking about. But after a few moments, it dawned on her—he had stopped her from purchasing a sex slave.

Haaah… So, you think I need your advice?

Her voice was laced with mockery, and it felt as if a shadow had settled around them. The tension in the air grew instantly. Even before meeting Leon, her mood had been far from good—anger and disappointment boiled within her after her breakup with Jilk. But now… now those feelings had found an outlet.

"Regret in the future?" Her voice carried a mix of bitterness and fury. "I already regret everything!"

Clarice clenched her fists, her lips trembling with rage and pain. Her chest rose and fell sharply, and her voice broke into a shout.

"I regret it…" she began, but then she swallowed hard, her throat tightening. Then, taking a deep breath, she continued, no longer holding back. "I regret ever thinking I was special to Jilk! I regret being foolish enough to believe I could win his affection! I spent my life building dreams about a man who… abandoned me at the first opportunity!"

Her voice grew louder, verging on hysteria.

"The meaning of my life was Jilk… I did everything I could, took every possible step! I even spied on him! I wanted to know him better… I fell in love with him, do you understand?! Truly in love!" She pressed a trembling hand to her chest as if trying to hold her breaking heart together. "And what did I get in return?!"

She was practically screaming now. If there had been a crowd around, people would have stopped in shock, staring at her with a mix of confusion and concern. But thankfully, Leon had led her to a quieter place beforehand, where she could let everything out without an audience.

Clarice was shaking, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"In the end… he betrayed me," her voice grew quieter, but it carried no less pain. "That bitch Marie appeared out of nowhere and destroyed everything! Everything I had prepared for years, everything I had built—she tore it apart in a month. In just one miserable month, she managed to make him fall in love with her!"

Clarice let out a shaky breath, a bitter smile forming through her tears.

"And I know she doesn't love him…" Her gaze darkened. "I see it in her eyes. She doesn't look at him the way I do! It infuriates me—not just that she managed to seduce him, but what he did afterward!"

She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to contain her trembling, and lowered her head. Tears streamed down her face, but she no longer tried to hide them.

"H-he just walked up…" Clarice choked on her words, her voice unsteady as she struggled to continue. "And he said… without emotion, as if it meant nothing to him… 'Of course'… and simply demanded that I stay away from her…"

With those words, she squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with her hands. Tears flowed freely, breaking through her desperate attempts to hold them back.

Leon watched her, his mind racing with what to do next. He hadn't expected such an explosion of emotions. Yes, he knew she was upset, but he hadn't realized just how deeply these events had wounded her.

But he had one advantage—his past life. His previous experiences, including those with relationships, allowed him to navigate even the most complex situations.

Clarice continued sobbing, trying to regain control. She took deep breaths, but the tears wouldn't stop. And then…

Warmth.

A strange yet comforting warmth she hadn't felt in a long time.

Her heart skipped a beat, and as she suddenly opened her eyes, she realized—Leon was hugging her.

In any other situation, she would have pushed him away immediately. If it had been a stranger, she wouldn't have hesitated. But… Leon was not quite a stranger.

They weren't close friends, but they had been seen together often. They had talked, laughed, argued. There was some kind of connection between them, even if it was undefined.

But it wasn't just that.

She simply… couldn't push him away.

She didn't know why.

Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice—soft, barely above a whisper, but filled with warmth.

"You can let it all out…"

This time, Clarice didn't hold back.

She clenched her fingers into his clothing and, no longer restraining herself, hugged him tightly in return. Leon remained calm, gently patting her back, allowing her to release all her emotions.

Five minutes passed…

Clarice finally calmed down, but now she felt embarrassed. She couldn't bring herself to look Leon in the eye and nervously avoided his gaze.

But still…

"Th-thank you… for everything…" she murmured.

Leon simply smiled.

"It's nothing."

Then, his expression turned serious.

"I have one request," he said, looking straight into her eyes.

Clarice, surprised by his tone, gazed at him with curiosity, waiting for him to continue.

"Please… wait a few days."

His voice was calm, yet there was unwavering determination behind it.

Clarice frowned slightly, tilting her head in confusion.

"Wait?.." she repeated, not quite understanding what he meant.

But as she looked at him again, she suddenly felt that he wouldn't say this without a reason.

"Alright…" she finally replied, still somewhat puzzled but agreeing nonetheless.

Leon nodded and, after escorting her to the dormitory, turned and headed home.

---

Hello, everyone. I apologize for the delay in releasing this chapter. I was a bit hesitant—I didn't want to write a dry chapter, I wanted emotions, and I wanted it to feel right. So I spent some time thinking about how to convey it all properly. And in the end, this is the result. I hope you enjoyed how I portrayed everything.